2020 Atlantic hurricane season (Andrew444)
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the second most active North Atlantic hurricane season on record in terms of named storms, only surpassed by 2005. Featuring 22 named storms, 18 hurricanes, and ten major hurricanes, the 2020 season produced the greatest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) on record, far surpassing the previous record observed in 1933. Moreover, the storms of the 2020 season produced $2.31 trillion (2020 USD) in damages, nearly ten times costlier than the former record attained in 2017, as well as 4,649 fatalities. This was primarily caused by Hurricane Marco's catastrophic impacts in the American state of Florida. The season officially began on June 1, 2020, and ended on November 30, 2020, dates that encompass the timeframe in which the majority of tropical cyclones develop in the North Atlantic Ocean. However, four named storms: Arthur, Bertha, Wilfred, and Alpha, formed outside of these six months, tying a record set in 1887. Seasonal summary Timeline of tropical activity in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2020 till:15/07/2020 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/01/2020 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(0-62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39-73_mph_(63-117 km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74-95_mph_(119-153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96-110_mph_(154-177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111-129_mph_(178-208-km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130-156_mph_(209-251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_≥_157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:10/01/2020 till:13/01/2020 color:C1 text:Arthur (C1) from:04/04/2020 till:07/04/2020 color:TS text:Bertha (TS) from:25/06/2020 till:28/06/2020 color:TS text:Cristobal (TS) bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/01/2020 till:01/02/2020 text:January from:01/02/2020 till:01/03/2020 text:February from:01/03/2020 till:01/04/2020 text:March from:01/04/2020 till:01/05/2020 text:April from:01/05/2020 till:01/06/2020 text:May from:01/06/2020 till:01/07/2020 text:June TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(623,30) text:"Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale)" ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/08/2020 till:10/01/2021 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/08/2020 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Subtropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(0-62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Subtropical_Storm_=_39-73_mph_(63-117 km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74-95_mph_(119-153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96-110_mph_(154-177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111-129_mph_(178-208-km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_130-156_mph_(209-251_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_≥_157_mph_(≥252_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:02/08/2020 till:08/08/2020 color:C2 text:Dolly (C2) from:11/08/2020 till:17/08/2020 color:C3 text:Edouard (C3) from:23/08/2020 till:25/08/2020 color:C1 text:Fay (C1) from:03/09/2020 till:17/09/2020 color:C5 text:Gonzalo (C5) from:03/09/2020 till:07/09/2020 color:C4 text:Hanna (C4) from:07/09/2020 till:19/09/2020 color:C5 text:Isaias (C5) from:13/09/2020 till:16/09/2020 color:C2 text:Josephine (C2) barset:break from:14/09/2020 till:20/09/2020 color:C3 text:Kyle (C3) from:18/09/2020 till:23/09/2020 color:C1 text:Laura (C1) from:19/09/2020 till:03/10/2020 color:C5 text:Marco (C5) barset:skip from:21/09/2020 till:23/09/2020 color:TS text:Nana (TS) from:24/09/2020 till:05/10/2020 color:C5 text:Omar (C5) from:01/10/2020 till:13/10/2020 color:C5 text:Paulette (C5) barset:break from:05/10/2020 till:09/10/2020 color:C1 text:Rene (C1) from:10/10/2020 till:20/10/2020 color:C3 text:Sally (C3) from:22/10/2020 till:28/10/2020 color:C4 text:Teddy (C4) from:14/11/2020 till:16/11/2020 color:C1 text:Vicky (C1) from:03/12/2020 till:09/12/2020 color:C1 text:Wilfred (C1) from:26/12/2020 till:28/12/2020 color:TS text:Alpha (SS) bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/08/2020 till:01/09/2020 text:August from:01/09/2020 till:01/10/2020 text:September from:01/10/2020 till:01/11/2020 text:October from:01/11/2020 till:01/12/2020 text:November from:01/12/2020 till:01/01/2021 text:December TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(623,30) text:"Saffir-Simpson scale (SSHWS))" During the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, twenty-one tropical depressions and one subtropical depression formed, all of which intensified into named storms (i.e. tropical and subtropical storms). Moreover, 18 of these 22 storms further intensified into hurricanes. Beginning with Hurricane Dolly and ending with Hurricane Marco, the 2020 season witnessed ten consecutive named storms become hurricanes, tying a record established in the 1878, 1886, 1893, and 2017 seasons. Furthermore, ten hurricanes became major hurricanes (i.e. attained or exceeded Category 3 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale (SSHWS)), with five further strengthening into Category 5 hurricanes. The 2020 season had the second-highest number of named storms for an Atlantic hurricane season, surpassing the 1933 season. In addition, the 18 hurricanes, 10 major hurricanes, and 5 Category 5 hurricanes observed exceed the previous record high seasonal totals of 15, 7, and 4, respectively, witnessed in the 2005 season. The above-average hurricane season was primarily caused by moderate La Niña conditions present in the North Atlantic Ocean. These resulted in record warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), extremely low overall values of wind shear, and other favorable environmental factors across the basin. Moreover, a persistent subtropical ridge steered a number of the storms towards the United States (U.S.) and other countries, resulting in catastrophic impacts. In particular, eight different tropical storms made landfall in the continental U.S. during the 2020 season, the most since 2004. Additionally, seven U.S. landfalling hurricanes and four U.S. landfalling major hurricanes occurred, tying records set in the 1886 and 2005 seasons, respectively. Overall, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in $2.31 trillion (2020 USD) in losses and 4,649 fatalities, cementing the season as the deadliest since 1998. Activity by month Pre-season The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, with the development of Hurricane Arthur on January 10, was the sixth consecutive season to feature an off-season storm. Arthur became the earliest system to develop in the Main Development Region (MDR) on record, as well as one of only three Atlantic hurricanes to form in January. Three months later, Tropical Storm Bertha also developed in the tropical Atlantic, making the 2020 season the first to have two named storms develop before the end of April. Neither Arthur nor Bertha caused any significant land impacts. However, forecasters interpreted their formations as a harbinger to a very active hurricane season. June and July For the first time in three years, a tropical storm developed in June, Cristobal. Like Arthur and Bertha, Cristobal developed in the MDR and had negligible effects on land. However, July 2020 was devoid of tropical and subtropical cyclogenesis, which had not happened since the 2016 season. August As environmental conditions began to improve across the Atlantic, three named storms, Dolly, Edouard, and Fay, developed within or near the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. All three storms became hurricanes, with Edouard intensifying further to major hurricane status. Dolly became the first hurricane to make landfall in Miami-Dade County, Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, whereas Edouard caused approximately $4 billion (2020 USD) in losses around Cancún, Mexico after making landfall as a major hurricane. Despite the observed activity and impact, an unfavorable phase of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) prevented even more storms from forming. September Coinciding with the peak of the hurricane season and a now-favorable MJO phase, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) would summarize September 2020 as "the month that exceeded the limits of Atlantic hurricane climatology". In the span of only three weeks, nine tropical storms spun across the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, one more than the old record attained in the 2002, 2007, and 2010 seasons. Additionally, an unprecedented eight became hurricanes and six strengthened into major hurricanes. By comparison, an average Atlantic hurricane season witnesses the formation of three tropical storms, two hurricanes, and one major hurricane during September. The NHC estimated that it would take over 50 years for some of the areas affected by the September 2020 storms to recover. Many of the storms that developed in September broke significant records: *After Hurricane Gonzalo attained Category 5 intensity on September 8, the 2020 season became the record-breaking fifth consecutive Atlantic hurricane season to feature a Category 5 hurricane. *With a pressure of 900 millibars (mbar), Hurricane Gonzalo became the strongest North Atlantic tropical cyclone on record outside of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico on record, surpassing Hurricane Dorian. However, Gonzalo's record would be itself surpassed by Isaias, Marco, and Omar later that same month. *Hurricane Hanna made landfall in Galveston, Texas with winds of 145 miles per hour (mph) (125 knots (kts)). The last hurricane to affect Texas with such high windspeeds was Hurricane Carla in 1961. *Hurricane Hanna accrued a damage total of approximately $150 billion (2020 USD), surpassing Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey to become the costliest Atlantic hurricane on record (prior to Hurricane Marco). *Hurricane Isaias attained winds of 195 mph (170 kts) and made landfall in Bermuda at that intensity. Until Hurricane Marco, no hurricane had been as strong at peak intensity or at landfall anywhere in the Atlantic terms of wind speeds. Isaias remains the strongest hurricane to make landfall over Bermuda. *Causing $4.2 billion (2020 USD) in losses across Bermuda, Isaias easily surpassed Hurricane Fabian to become the costliest hurricane to affect that island. *Hurricane Josephine was the first storm since Hurricane Bob in 1991 to make landfall in New England as a hurricane. *Hurricane Kyle became the only hurricane to make landfall in Newfoundland with winds of Category 2 intensity (and above). *Hurricane Laura was the first North Atlantic tropical cyclone since Hurricane Edith in 1963 to make landfall in Saint Lucia as a hurricane. *Hurricane Laura became the first storm since Hurricane Otto in 2016 to survive the crossover from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. *Five tropical storms existed simultaneously on September 19 (Gonzalo, Isaias, Kyle, Laura, and Marco). This had never occurred beforehand in the Atlantic. *Hurricane Marco sustained Category 5-equivalent winds for 6.75 days, besting Typhoon Nancy's record-long duration by 30 hours. *At peak intensity, Hurricane Marco attained winds of 235 mph (205 kts), exceeding Hurricane Patricia and Typhoon Nancy's worldwide record high of 215 mph (185 kts). *The minimum barometric pressure measured in Hurricane Marco was 853 mbar (hPa). This is the lowest pressure observed both in the Atlantic and worldwide, surpassing Hurricane Wilma and Typhoon Tip, respectively. *Hurricane Marco made landfall in Miami, Florida at its peak intensity of 235 mph/853 mbar. This is significantly stronger than the previous record for a Florida hurricane, held by the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. *A storm surge of 60 feet (18.2 meters) from Hurricane Marco, over twice the height of the record 28-feet (8.5-meter) surge from Hurricane Katrina, inundated the entire American state of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee. *With total losses of $1.8 trillion (2020 USD), Hurricane Marco became the costliest natural disaster on record, surpassing the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. *4,138 fatalities were reported from Hurricane Marco across Florida, cementing the hurricane as the deadliest in Floridian history (ahead of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane). *When Hurricane Omar became a Category 5 hurricane on September 28, Hurricane Marco was still active at that intensity. Never before had two Category 5 hurricanes coexisted in the Atlantic. *Hurricane Omar was the only North Atlantic tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Iceland as a hurricane. October Following a record-breaking September, activity in October significantly slowed down due to the MJO once again entering an unfavorable phase. However, on top of the existence of Hurricanes Marco and Omar, the month witnessed the formation of four named storms, Paulette, Rene, Sally, and Teddy. Similar to what happened in August, all became hurricanes, making October 2020 the first October in ten years to have four or more hurricanes. Moreover, only Rene failed to become a major hurricane, shattering another record for the Atlantic. Already severely devastated by Marco, Hurricanes Paulette and Sally caused additional severe damage across The Bahamas and Florida. Paulette would go on to overwhelm the levees surrounding New Orleans, Louisiana, akin to Hurricane Betsy and Hurricane Katrina, and become the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane on record (after Marco). Meanwhile, Hurricane Rene became the first tropical storm to make landfall in Costa Rica since 1887. Elsewhere, Hurricane Teddy became the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Jamaica and the costliest Cuban hurricane on record, accruing a damage total of $20 billion (2020 USD) in the latter country alone. Furthermore, Teddy was only the second North Atlantic tropical cyclone since 1946 to bring hurricane-force winds to the Tampa Bay Area (following Marco in September). November Only one named storm developed in November, Hurricane Vicky. However, Vicky formed later than any other named storm on record in the Gulf of Mexico, surpassing 1961's Tropical Storm Inga. Moreover, the former caused slight damage along the Mexican coastline. December For the first time since 2003, two named storms, Hurricane Wilfred and Subtropical Storm Alpha, developed in the North Atlantic after the end of the official hurricane season. Wilfred became one of five hurricanes to form during December and caused unusually late surf along the U.S. East Coast. In addition, Alpha was the first tropical or subtropical storm to make landfall in the Iberian Peninsula since 1842. Once the season had finally concluded, many individuals thanked the NHC forecasters for their countless efforts in writing advisories and ensuring the well-being of the public in countries around the Atlantic. Storms Hurricane Arthur Tropical Storm Bertha Tropical Storm Cristobal Hurricane Dolly Hurricane Edouard Hurricane Fay Hurricane Gonzalo Hurricane Hanna Hurricane Isaias Hurricane Josephine Hurricane Kyle Hurricane Laura Hurricane Marco Tropical Storm Nana Hurricane Omar Hurricane Paulette Hurricane Rene Hurricane Sally Hurricane Teddy Hurricane Vicky Hurricane Wilfred Subtropical Storm Alpha Season effects The table below lists all the tropical and subtropical cyclones that formed in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes the duration, names, locations of landfall while tropical or subtropical, total damages, and total deaths of each storm. Damage estimates include figures from non-tropical or subtropical phases of a system. Moreover, all the damage figures are in 2020 USD. Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) The table on the right provides the accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) for each storm in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, rounded to three significant features. A hurricane's ACE is a measure that accounts for both its strength and longevity. Consequently, storms with a long duration and powerful intensity, such as Hurricane Isaias, will receive the highest ACE ratings. In addition, ACE is calculated every six hours for tropical or subtropical cyclones with winds exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h). Therefore, neither tropical nor subtropical depressions receive an ACE rating. With a total ACE of 448 x 104 kt2, the 2020 season had the highest seasonal value for a North Atlantic hurricane season, nearly 200 units greater than the previous record high, 259 x 104 kt2, attained in 1933. The extremely high total for 2020 can be partially attributed to a record-breaking five hurricanes, Marco, Gonzalo, Isaias, Omar, and Paulette, generating ACE totals exceeding 40 units. Moreover, with a value of approximately 294 x 104 kt2, the ACE for September 2020 by far surpassed that of September 2017 to become the highest total observed in the North Atlantic for a single month. Furthermore, the ACE total for October 2020, approximately 112 x 104 kt2, exceeded the previous monthly record high, 87.8 x 104 kt2, set in October 1878. In addition to the monthly and seasonal records, Hurricane Gonzalo generated the highest ACE for a North Atlantic tropical cyclone in a 24-hour period, surpassing Hurricane Irma. However, both Isaias and Marco would break Gonzalo's record before the end of the season. Furthermore, Marco's ACE rating of 95.9 units is both a North Atlantic and worldwide record high, exceeding the 1899 San Ciriaco hurricane and Hurricane Ioke's values, respectively. Likewise, September 12, 2020 generated more ACE in the North Atlantic than any other calendar day on record (besting September 8, 2017) until being itself surpassed by September 28, 2020. Gonzalo and Isaias contributed to the ACE total for September 12, and Marco and Omar contributed to the ACE value for September 28. Storm names The following names were used for tropical and subtropical cyclones that formed in the North Atlantic Ocean during 2020. Names that were not retired were reused in the 2026 season. Although this naming list was the exact same as that of the 2014 season, storms were named Isaias, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, and Wilfred for the first time in 2020 because of inactivity in the former. This is the most previously unused names utilized in a single season since 2010. Moreover, the names Isaias and Paulette replaced Ike and Paloma after the 2008 season. For only the second time on record in the North Atlantic, after the 2005 season, all predetermined names were used during the course of the hurricane season. Moreover, one name was used from the Greek alphabet auxiliary list. Alpha had been used previously in 1972 and 2005: Retirement Because of the severe impact caused, the World Meteorological Organization retired the names Dolly, Edouard, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Marco, Paulette, Sally, and Teddy in the spring of 2021. They will be replaced with, Diamond, Esteban, Harmony, Ibrahim, Jessica, Melvin, Pearl, Selena, and Tyson, respectively, for the 2026 season. The nine names retired is the most on record removed after a single season and nearly double the previous record of five in the 2005 season. List for 2026 Category:Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Future Atlantic hurricane seasons Category:Hyper-active seasons Category:Andrew444 Category:Costly seasons Category:Deadly seasons